Improvement in upright piano-forte actions



F. FRICKINGER.

UPRIGHT PIANO-FORTE ACTIONS.

No.189,029. Patented Apri1s,1s77.

UNITED STATES @Firma-a.

FRIEDRIGK FRIGKINGER, OF WEST NASSAU, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN UPRIGHT PIANO-FORTE ACTIONS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 189,029, dated April 3,1877; application tiled October 14, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRIEDRIGK FRIcKrNG- ER, of West Nassau, in thecounty of Rensselaer and State of New York, have invented a new andImproved Upright-Piano Action, of which the following is aspecification:

Figures 1 and 2 are side views of my improved action, showing the samein different positions.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in bothfigures.

This invention relates to improvements in the hammer rest and butt of anupright action, as hereinafter more fully described.

The letter A in the drawing represents the hammer-rail, and B thefly-stop, of an upright piano-forte action. C is the hammer; D, thehammer-butt, and E the hammer-catch on the hammer-butt. The hammerderives its motion from the y F, which, in turn, is actuated by they-lever G. The liftingrod H connects the finger-key I with the iiyleverG. This fly-lever carries also the backjack J.

Heretofore the hammer-rest was usually constructed of a separate rail,arranged above the hammer-butt, and the hammer rested with its shankagainst such rail.

One feature of my present invention consists in dispensing with aseparate hammerrest, and in utilizing the inner rail or iiystop B forthe purpose of a hammer-rest. This object I attain by cushioning theupper inclined surface of the fly-stop B, and placing the same under theshank of the hammer-catch E. This arrangement renders an elongation ofthe hammer-catch or its shank desirable, as indicated in the drawing,Fig. 1, showing the shank of the hammer-catch resting on the rail B, andFig. 2 showing the hammer thrown against the cord or string by theaction of the fly F.

It will be readily seen that by this arrangement of the y stop theconstruction of the instrument is much simplified, as the upperadditional rest-rail is dispensed with; and, at the same time, as they-stop and the hammer-rest are combined in one piece, it will make avery positive and strong y-stop.

The fly-stop B derives its name from the fact that it arrests the upwardmotion of the fly F, in manner indicated in Fig. 2.

For adjusting the length of the lifter H, I place a screw, L, into thebody of the lifter H, either as in the drawing, by screwing the sameinto the lower end of the lifter, and causing it to rest on thefinger-key I, or by placing a right-and-left screw into the body of saidlifter, in which case the latter is made in two separate pieces.

By this screw I can lengthen and shorten the lifter without causing thelatter or any part of the action to be displaced or taken to pieces, andI prefer for this purpose to provide the cylindrical or other shapedhead a of the screw L with holes, into which a wrench-pin can beintroduced, or with projecting prongs, whereby it can be readily turned.

Finally, my invention consists in extending the butt M, to which they-lever G is -pivoted, downward, and in joining it by a link or brace,N, with the body of the lifter H, as shown. By this arrangement I impartthe requisite degree of steadiness to the lifter, and dispense with themuch more complicated steadying devices which were heretofore used toproperly brace or stay the lifter of an upright-piano action.

If the brace N be placed parallel to the tlylever G the motion of thelifter caused by the action of the finger-key will also be slightlylateral, and the lifter will in consequence travel somewhat on thenger-key in being lifted. This traveling motion it would share with thelitters of ordinary upright piano-forte actions; but by placing saidbrace N some-- what out of parallel with, i. e., oblique to, the y-leverG, as shown in the drawing, I cause during the vertical movement of thelifter also a degree of vibration of such kind that its lower end willnot vary its positionon the finger-key, and the friction formerlyproduced by the lifter on such finger-key will consequently be avoided.

I claim as my inventionl. In an upright piano action the inner rail B,placed with reference to the fly F and hammer-catch E, to constitute acombined brace N, both directly pivoted thereto, and fly-stop and hammerrest, substantially as to the lifter H, substantially as specified.specified. Signed October 7, 1876.

2. The hammer-catch E elongated and combined with the i'nclinedfaoe ofthe iiy- FRIED' FRIOKINGER' stop B, substantially' as herein shown andde- Witnesses: scribed.

ERNEST C. WEBB, F. v. BRLESEN.

3. The butt M, having the ny-lever G and

